Magpies recognise faces, attack same people every day: research

The recommendations came from his research that delved further into previous studies that found some birds use facial recognition to decide who to target when defending their nests.

Dr Jones said his team found magpies "really do know the individual" by remembering not only their features but those who regularly passed through their territory.

Tips to protect yourself:

Move quickly through the area but do not run

Wear a hat or carry an umbrella

Wear sunglasses for eye protection

Bike riders should dismount and walk

Do not act aggressively

Remember the magpies are protecting their young

(Source: Queensland Government)

He found the birds target three categories of people.

"There are magpies who specialise on pedestrians, which is most of them, the postie birds and the cyclist birds," Dr Jones said.

"Of the magpies who attack pedestrians, people walking around, ... of those most of them attack the same people every day."

He said the team had watched "hundreds of people walk past not getting attacked and then the same little old lady or kid or person walking the dog would be attacked and nobody else would even be looked at.

"We interviewed those people and they said 'yes it's like they know who I am', and they really do."

Dr Jones said his team was still baffled as to how the magpies decided on their targets.

"What we don't know is why did they start picking on poor old Mrs Smith walking down the street to get her groceries each morning," he said.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't climb the tree and eat a baby magpie last weekend ... but something happened."

Dr Jones said "Mrs Smith" could have done something as minor as looking in the direction of the nest as magpies appeared to have a low tolerance threshold.

The good news is the attacks only last for a few weeks in spring when there are chicks in the nest.